Published: October 15, 2008 12:08 am            

Fishing clinic receives kudos

Former mayor Steve Daily also honored at ceremony

The Jim “Moose” Carden Kids Fishing Clinic and former Kokomo Mayor Steve Daily came in for statewide honors this week, as more than 1,000 local leaders gathered at the Century Center in South Bend.

The fishing clinic, which has grown exponentially since its inception in 1982, brings together 200 volunteers with 3,000 kids each year for classroom instruction followed by a fishing tournament.

“You see adults and businesses and kids come together to provide memories of a lifetime for over 3,000 of our area’s children,” Kokomo parks superintendent John Martino said Tuesday. “The most important thing is that this is a community award.”

Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight, three city council members and other city officials attended the banquet to accept the award from the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.

Each year IACT, which represents the interests of Indiana’s municipalities in the state Legislature, presents four Community Achievement Awards; this year Kokomo won the sole award given to cities of between 15,000 and 50,000 residents.

Martino has been involved in the clinic since its inception, and runs it each year with the assistance of park staff, community members Rick Kughen, Jeff Fager and Craig Carter, and hundreds of volunteers, sponsors and contributors.

Asked Tuesday who he’d like to recognize for the event, Martino balked.

“Do you have room in your article for 200 names?” he joked. “But that’s what it is. It’s a sense of community.”

“The kid’s fishing clinic is truly a community event,” said Martino. “While we’re honored to receive this award, we know it doesn’t just belong to the city, but to everyone who comes together each year and makes this clinic a reality.”

Each year corporate sponsors donate fishing gear and volunteers donate their time, boats and expertise to teach kids how to fish. Classes are presented on Tuesdays and Thursdays over a two-week period in July, and then all of the newly educated junior fishermen gather on a Saturday to put their new knowledge to work out on the Kokomo Reservoir.

Councilman Mike Karickhoff, who served two decades as parks superintendent prior to Martino, nominated the Fishing Clinic for the award.

Martino said the clinic was the brainchild of his longtime friend, Jim “Moose” Carden, who passed away in 1989. Carden got the idea from a much smaller clinic being held in Indianapolis in 1982, and started the ball rolling in Kokomo.

Daily honored by IACT

The fishing clinic sponsors weren’t the only ones with Kokomo ties being honored at the IACT banquet Monday.

Former Kokomo Mayor Stephen J. Daily was also on hand to receive the association’s 2008 Larry A. Conrad Civic Service Award, which honors the contributions made by private citizens, companies or civic organizations to municipal government.

In its 32nd year, the IACT Annual Awards program, presented by Carmel accountants Umbaugh & Associates, the IACT awards recognize communities and individuals in municipal government for excellence and outstanding achievement.

An 11-member panel of qualified judges selected this year’s winners from a competitive field of nominees from around the state.

Daily’s life was hailed as “an example of exemplary civic service,” at the banquet.

“His passion for service led him to the Kokomo Common Council in 1976. After serving one term on the council, he was elected mayor and served in that capacity for eight years.

“While serving as mayor, he built a new city hall, a new senior citizens center and a new high-rise building. During his tenure, Daily initiated many ‘firsts’ that continue today. These include the implementation of a strategic planning process, an economic development department, a personnel department, Leadership Kokomo and a publicly funded Community Arts Council,” the nomination statement continues.

Daily now serves as chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College’s Region 5, which includes the Kokomo and Logansport campuses.

Karickhoff, who worked for Daily both with the city and Ivy Tech, summed up Daily’s contributions by saying “I’ve never seen a leader who has the vision and courage combined with the leadership skills that Steve has.

“He engenders in you a belief that you can do anything with nothing; he has changed the Kokomo community more than any single individual in decades.”

Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com

        

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